


Autumn Story

by Deire



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deire/pseuds/Deire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl finds a new friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Autumn Story

Becca had smelled the faint tinge of sulfur for several days. Every morning she waited at the bus stop, surrounded on both sides by corn stalks drying in the October chill. She was used to the smell of drying corn and tree leaves. This was sharper.

She shifted restlessly. She’d come out half an hour early this morning…She eyed the house windows. Her mom was probably still sick in bed. The drapes were closed. She turned and plunged into the corn field quickly, before she could think too much.

She followed the smell, the old burnt egg scent. As it strengthened, she heard a rustle. Just a bit farther. She gripped her backpack strap hard.

She hadn’t expected the dragon. It whuffled and moved back away from her. It had brown and gold and russet scales. All autumn colors. Gold eyes watched her warily.

She stopped, dropping down to make herself smaller, the way she got scared cats to come to her. Its retreat halted. She slowly put her pack on the earth and opened it. She pulled out her lunch—something it in had to appeal, she hoped. The sandwich was the easiest to open, and she placed it at the end of her reach.

The dragon snuffled forward, watching her. It dipped its head cautiously and lipped at the sandwich. Eyes still on hers, it ate. Becca smiled, making sure to keep her teeth covered. She gently touched a claw, heartened that it didn’t run away when she did. She giggled when it crunched into her apple.

If only she hadn’t heard the bus then, down the road. She stood. The dragon jumped. She bit her lip. But Mom was sick—missing the bus meant getting her out of bed to drive Becca. She turned and ran to the bus stop, hating that she had to leave.

*

The dragon wasn’t there that afternoon. If only it hadn’t been there the next day. Jimmy took the afternoon bus. Fifteen years old and just as mean as his dad. He liked to throw rocks at Becca’s legs once the bus pulled away. He could fight kids his own age, but she guessed fifth graders were easier.

He turned to her with a jeer. “Hey, brat. Let’s have some fun.” She shook her head, walking faster. Mom wasn’t home today. She had two hours till Dad would be home. Two hours. “Everyone likes fun.” His voice was deeper and quieter now. Scarier somehow. He grabbed her shoulder.

She spun and pulled loose. The house was too far away, and he was bigger. He’d catch her before she had the door unlocked. But the corn field was right beside her, and it was its own maze. If she could get out of his sight and hunker down someplace--she held her forearm up to shield her eyes as she plunged into the rows.

*

She didn’t even see his arm till it was in front of her, throwing her back. She landed hard. She choked and rasped, but air wouldn’t come. He stood over her, hardly even breathing hard, and that wasn’t fair, blood was trickling down her legs from cornstalk cuts, and he wasn’t even out of breath--

She closed her eyes when she heard the timid whuffle behind her. No, no, just run, it’s not safe here. But she couldn’t get enough air to say it. She forced her eyes open and tried to stand. Her shoulders shucked out of her backpack, and she grabbed it in one hand.

The small dragon came out of the plants. It didn’t even reach Jimmy’s shoulder, and she’d taught it that people were okay, people brought you food.

Jimmy’s eyes widened. “Who’s your friend, Becca?” Jimmy stepped close to the dragon, grabbing at it. He wrenched back the dragon’s head. It opened wide eyes, gasping for air.

And then she knew who the real monster was. He was laughing too loud to hear her footsteps as she ran at him. She swung her backpack, hard, into his head.

He fell, making a sound like the pumpkins when he dropped them in the road last week. He didn’t stand back up. He lay still. She stared over him at the dragon for a moment. She’d hurt him. She’d be in trouble. And he’d seen the dragon, he’d tell people who would take it away. She covered her eyes with her hands and cried.

She didn’t hear a crunch just like the apple. She couldn’t hear the moist sound of something eating. She couldn’t. And if she just waited a while longer, there would be nothing to see either.


End file.
